Electrolytic cell



F. H. BUCK AND P. McRAE.l

ELEGTROLYTIC CELL.

v APPucATLoN HL/ ED JULY 17, i920. 1,363,228.

Patented Dec. 28, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l- F. H. BUCK AND P. MCRAE.

ELECTROLYTIC CELL.

APPLICATION FILED JULY-17.71920.

1,363,228. Patented 1)@.28,1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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UNITED STATES PATENT oFF'lcE.

FRANK H. BUCK AND PHILIP MCRAE, OF WILMINGTON, DELAWARE.

ELECTROLYTIC CELL.

Application ined July 17,

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that we, FRANK H. BUcx,

a citizen of the United States, and resident of Wilmington, Delaware, and PHILIP MCRAE, a subject of thle King of Great Britain, and resident of Wilmington, Delaware, United States of America, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Electrolytic Cells, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to electrolytic cells primarily adapted for the generation of chlorin and'sodium hydroxid from a solution of sodium chlorid, although obviously other liquids may be electrolyzed in this cell to produce various products.

The object of our invention is to produce a compact, light' cell, of simple construc tion, and which is more eficient than any now on the market.

Other objects and advantages will appear as the description proceeds and withreference to the accompanying drawings which. illustrate the preferred embodiment of oury invention and in which- Figure 1 is a top plan view of a cell constructed 'according to our invention with` gas chamber removed. p

Fig. 2 is a sectional view along the lines 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a view of a clamping member.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the anode.

Fig. 5 is a plan view Iof the gas chamber.

Fig. 6 is a plan view of a modification with the gas chamber removed.

Referring now by characters of reference to the drawings, the numeral 1 designates an elongated box of sheet iron forming the casing of the cell provided at its lower end with a drain cock 9. Spaced apart from the casing is the perforated iron cathode 2, conforming to the shape of box 1, and having an inner portion 2a in the form of a bottomless box formed integral with the main portion 2, perforated. Channel iron 3 is welded to the upper margin of member 2 and, servesto seal the space betweenmember 2 and box 1 and also as a conductor for the current flowing from 2 to the copper out lead 4. A copper lead 21 may be used to take the current from portion 2a of the cathode through upright post -221 to the main negative lead 4. lt will be seen that the upper edges of the box 1 supports the main load of the cathode.

Anodey usually of Acheson graphite, or

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 28, 1920. 1920. serial No. 396,932.

carbon is composed of upright posts, with slabsjextending nearly to the top thereof and 1s suspended by any suitable means, such as clamps composed of parallel members' 12 secured together by bolts 13 embracing the upright portions so as to take a posltion between portions 2 and 2El of the cathode and be spaced apart from the floor thereof. The surfaces of the anode are placed 1n as ,close proximity to the walls of the cathode as possible consistent with the efficiency of the device, usually about g of an inch in practice.

On the anode side of the walls of the cathode 1s placed a diaphragm of asbestos paper or cloth 6 which serves to retain the body of the electrolyte in the anode chamber until electrolysis takes place. Channel iron 7 is secured to the upper portions 2B of the cathode to form a gas tight chamber and is provided with an outlet 8 for the removal of the hydrogen gas from the inner cathode chamber. hole 10 is provided in the box 1 for removing the hydrogen from the outer cathode member. l

'A gas chamber 11 is constructed to be supported on the channel irons 3 and 7 and the joint therebetween may be sealed with pitch or any. suitable substance. The gas chamber has, in its top, openings through which the vertical portionsn of the anode 5 protrude, a. port 23 for the escape of chlorin, anda center channel 14 through which extends a supplementary lead from the cathode.

To insure the lgas chamber being held tightly to the channel irons on the cathode, clamping members may be provided, consisting of uprights 15 secured to box 1 by means of bolts 16, and provided at their upper ends with threads to receive nuts 17 which exert pressure on cross member 18.

A positivebus bar 19 secured to the upright portions of the anode by means of bolts 20 serves as a lead for the inowing current. e

In operation the electrolyte which for the production of caustic soda and chlorin\with its by-product of hydrogen isa saturated solution of sodium chlorid is fed into the anode chamber at any convenient point and in any manner (not shown) until the proper amount of the anode is submerged. We find a current of from 3% to 3% volts and from 1000 to 2000 amperes, suitable to economically 'electrolyte the solution. Upon closing the circuit, the sodium Vchlorid solution held in the anode chamber by the asbestos diaphragm, is decomposed, the chlorin being liberated on the surfaces of the anode and sodium at the cathode. The sodium at the moment of its liberation reacts with the water present to form sodium hydroxid and hydrogen, a portion of the former falling. to the bottom of the anode chamber, the other portion penetrating the diaphragm and cathode and traveling downward where the two streams pass through the perforations and are removed through the cock 9, the latter following the path of the caustic soda, rises in the inner and outer cathode chambers and-is removed through apertures 10 and 8.

The chlorin liberated on the exposed surfaces of the anode passes upward through the elertrolyte into the gas chamber from which it is removed through port 18 to any convenient storage tank or other suitable receiver.

It has been found by actual test that this cell will do proportionately more work than the 'most efiicient cell now on the market.

lt will now be apparent that by our improvedform of compact electrolyzing surface we have devised a cell which will do the Work of a much larger one. This means a tremendous saving in initial expense due not only to the reduced dimensions/but to the saving in'weight ofmaterial used. By the use of this compact cell, a saving of floor space is effected which allows of a greater number being installed with their resulting increase in output of electrolysis products.

It may be desirable to provide one or more central webs connecting the end posts-of the anode as shown in Fig. 6, but in this case the cell would require ahigher amperage. llt will be seen that if this is done, a greater decomposition surface results.,

@ther advantages will appear to those skilled in the art and it is obvious that various changes may be made in the device as shown and described without departing from the spirit of our invention and it is understood that the drawings are to be taken as merely illustrative of one manner of carrying out our invention and in fno wise av limitation thereof.

What we claim is:

1. An electrolytic' cell composed of an anode and a cathode within a container, an outer cathode chamber, an inner cathode chamber and an anode chamber therebetween adapted to receive the body of the electroplyte,

'2. The device of claim 1 in which a gas chaomber is superposed upon the cathode, said cathode being provided with channeled seats at its upper endg/said chamber adapted to collect a portion of the products of electrolysis to collect a `portion of the-products of electrolysis.

3. An electrolytic cell ode is of endless channel form with perforated walls provided with channel seats at their upper ends, and a closure member provided with downwardly extended walls engaging said seats and forming a gas cham- 4t. ln an electrolytic cell, the combination of an anode and a cathode within a container,vsaid cathode being partly surrounded of an anode and acathode within a container said cathode being formed with a chamber between its walls for the collection of gaseous electrolysis products.

6. rllhe device of claim 5 in which the chamber formed by the cathode is surrounded by the anode.

7. The deviceof claim l in which the anode presents an inside and an outside face to the electrolyte.`

8l An electrolytic cell comprising an anode and a cathode within a container, said cathode being of endless channel form.

9. An electrolytic cell comprising an anode and a cathode Within a container, said cathode forming a chamber free from the electrolyte, partly surrounded by the electrolyte.

l0..An electrolytic cell comprising an anode and a cathode within a container, said anode comprising posts joined to each other, said joining members adapted to be below the body of the electrolyte, when the cell is in operation.`

11. An electrolytic cell comprising an anode and a cathode within a container, a gas chamber superposed upon the cellsaid anode comprising posts joined to each other below the gas chamber.l

12. An electrolytic cell comprising an anode and a cathode within a container, said anode presenting an inner and an outer face to the electrolyte.

13. In an electrolytic cell, the combination of an anode with a cathode of endless channel form.

In testimony whereof, we aiix our signatures. l

FRANK H. BUCK. PHILIP MCR-AE.

in which the cath- Y 

